Discovery Park, Seattle, WA | © Patrick Kern, 2020
Have you noticed how easy it is to fixate on “what’s wrong”? Or that bad news makes more headlines than good news? Or that insults or slights stick in your craw more than praise? Our human brains are literally wired for something psychology researchers call “negativity bias”. This means we often remember traumatic experiences more vividly than positive ones, think about negative things more frequently than positive ones, perceive bad news as more truthful than good news (!!), and react more strongly to negative stimuli. The scientific theory is that this is an evolutionary function of our brain's constant need to frame all of life through its survival lens – it’s always trying to keep us safe from potential danger. Negativity bias can adversely skew how we think, respond, feel, and make decisions – from a place of fear and pessimism, rather than discernment and consideration.
The good news? We can influence our mind and bring it to a more balanced, conscientious place through embodied mindfulness practices, such as movement, meditation, self-study. (In other words, yoga!) We can train the mind to witness our negativity bias and reframe our thoughts to a more balanced perspective. We can learn to more often ask “what’s right?”. We can get into the present moment via our physical bodies with movement (asana) and breathing practices (pranayama), give ourselves space to observe our thoughts and emotions with meditation (dhyāna) and self-study (svadhyaya), process, and then consciously choose action (rather than reaction) from a place of discernment.
I have found that in my own life when I’ve spiraled into those places crowded with dark thoughts and despair, giving myself the gift of time on my mat, on my cushion, walking outside in the nature, journaling, or simply lying down for a restful nap, have allowed me the space to feel my feelings, soothe myself, reassess, find gratitude, and see the situation with a more balanced view (upekṣā). Balanced does not mean unfeeling, apathetic, or ignorant – instead it's a state of openness, wholeness, and embodied presence. We are able to make radically more empowered choices from this place. This is why we practice.
Here are some good news items I would like to share with you today:
The yoga studio I teach at, Seattle Yoga Arts, is offering a pretty sweet special Labor Day offer: 20 classes for $295. (That’s $14.75/class!) This package is only on sale from Sept 1-8, so visit their website Tuition page for more info.
Some of you have asked my advice on where to get props, so I’ve created a props resource guide on my website.
There's been a schedule change to my Sunday night online Restorative class; details below.
I’ve also got four upcoming virtual Restorative events and several on-demand videos available now! Read on!
PLUS! I'm co-hosting an at-home yoga retreat this December – save the date below!
Stay resilient, my friends. Doing so may look different these days, and it’s absolutely as essential as ever.
In love & gratitude,
Nicole
Want to read more about negativity bias?